
Representatives engage in discussions during the symposium. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]
On Jan 13, a delegation from Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), led by Fan Jinfeng, Party secretary of the College of Life Science and Technology, and Professor Yin Ping, executive dean of the College of Bio-X, visited Hubei's Xiangyang to advance strategic cooperation in the biomanufacturing industry.
The Xiangyang municipal government is actively supporting the creation of a National Agricultural High-tech Industry Demonstration Zone, which would focus on attracting investment in modern food processing, biomanufacturing, and smart agriculture. Local officials expressed a strong desire to deepen Xiangyang's ties to universities in an effort to accelerate the transformation of scientific research into industrial applications within the zone.
Executive Dean Yin highlighted that the College of Bio-X is dedicated to achieving national goals, having already established a specialized Biomanufacturing Innovation Class to cultivate a steady pipeline of talent for the sector. Meanwhile, Fan emphasized that biomanufacturing is a priority for China's strategic emerging industries.
HZAU is rapidly expanding its synthetic biology discipline, having recently launched the Hubei Synthetic Biology Science-Industry Fusion Innovation Strategic Alliance. The university's platform was among the first selected by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for biomanufacturing pilot-scale capacity building.
By optimizing resource allocation and addressing hurdles in technology transfer, HZAU and Xiangyang aim to achieve a deep fusion of innovation, industry, capital, talent, and academic chains, positioning the region at the forefront of the future bioeconomy.